Raksha Bandhan

Religion: Hindu

Country: India

Upcoming Raksha Bandhan is on 03 August 2020 (Monday)

Days Remaining in Raksha Bandhan 2020DAYS HOURS MIN SEC

Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival which celebrates the sacred bond between the brothers and sisters. This day is dedicated to the special relationship of love and affection between a brother and a sister and is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravana in India.

Raksha Bandhan History

Like many Indian festivals this festival also has many mythological as well as some historical tales related to it. According to one narrative it is believed that when Alexander invaded India his wife sent a rakhi to king Puru. The king paying tribute to the rakhi restrained himself in the battlefield.

Another popular belief is that queen Karnavathi widowed queen of Chittor, sent a rakhi to Mughal emperor Humayun when she could not defend the invasion by the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah. The emperor paying respect to this gesture sent his troops to defend chitoor.

Another legend is that of lord Krishna and Draupadi. After lord Krishna had injured his hand Draupadi tore off a part of her sari and bandaged his wrist. Touched by her sisterly love lord Krishna promised to protect whenever she was in need.

The legend of King Bali and Goddess Laxmi is also popular. According to this legend lord Vishnu was very impressed by king Bali’s devotion and granted him a boon of immortality. He then left his abode to protect Bali's kingdom and came to stay with the king. Goddess Laxmi was saddened by this and visited King Bali on the Shravan Poornima day disguised as a poor Brahmin lady and tied Rakhi on his wrist. She revealed her true identity and asked the King to send Lord Vishnu back with her to Vaikunthdham. Following which Bali requested Lord Vishnu to accompany her to Vaikuntham.

How is Raksha Bandhan Celebrated in India?

On this day the sisters decorate the puja plate with the diya, roli,rice grains for tilak, sweets and a holy thread called rakhi. After praying to god sisters perform arti to the brothers and tie the rakhi around their wrist which is a bond of protection. By tying the rakhi sister prays for the long life of her brother while the brother in turn acknowledges the love with a promise to protect his sister. On this day as accustom sisters get gifts from their brothers. The basic significance of Raksha Bandhan is to strengthen the bond of love between the siblings.

This festival is known by different names across the country. In Mumbai rakhi festival is called narial purnima or coconut full moon and Kerala people call the occasion as the avani avittam. In Southern India, Shravan Purnima is an important religious occasion while in Northern India Rakhi Purnima is also called Kajri Purnima or Kajri Navami.